Ticket



Aug. 18, 1942.

B.- H. FREEDMAN' TICKET Filed Nov. 13 1939 INVENTOR fifA/Jq/w/A/ bf fifmnmw ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 13, 1939, Serial No. 303,939

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved theatre ticket.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved theatre ticket characterized by a length of ticket strip material divided into a succession of ticket areas and further divided into two columns of stub areas, one succession of stub areas intended for the patron and the other succession of stub areas to be retained, to facilitate detaching a predetermined group of tickets from the strip corresponding to the number of patrons in a group purchasing the tickets, without requiring the individual tickets to be detached one at a time from the strip, and in turn enabling the attendant at the door to divide the strip of tickets into its respective stub areas with a single tearing movement, and subsequently sorting the stub areas retained according to the number in an undivided strip, to facilitate counting the same.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved ticket characterized by a ticket strip divided into successive areas by alternately oppositely impressed prepared lines to facilitate folding a group of successive tickets into a small package after detaching the same from the strip, also divided by a prepared line into two columns of stub areas, one stub area to be retained by the theatre and the other stub area to be handed to the patron with the successive like stub areas adjacent to one another in a column, the prepared line between the adjacent columns facilitatingthe tearing of the respective stub areas from one another after a group of tickets has been detached from the strip and folded into a small package.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved theatre ticket strip that may be formed in a roll at the cashiers desk which strip is divided by a prepared line such as a scored or perforated line into successive ticket areas, not only to facilitate detaching one or a group of successive areas from the strip on the roll, but also to facilitate folding a group of tickets into a small package with the successive tickets of a group folded face to face, and which strip is further characterized by being divided by a prepared line such as a'scored or perforated line into two columns of successive stub areas, one stub area to be handed to the patron and the other stub area to be retained by'the theatre, which stub areas are not only marked to distinguish the stub area of one column from the stub area of the other column, but also to designate a price, which prepared line todefine the two columns will facilitate the doorman in dividing not only a single ticket into its respective stub areas, but particularlya group of attached tickets when folded into a package, into its respective stub areas.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the improved ticket constituting the invention, Will appear from the subjoined detail description of specific embodiments of the improved ticket illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of a stripv of tickets made according to the present invention formed into a roll;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a single ticket area detached from the strip illustrated in Fig. '1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of another form of theatre ticket detached as a single ticket;

Fig-5 is a perspective of a group of tickets scored to facilitate fan folding;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a group of tickets shown in Fig. 5 folded but in the process of being divided into their respective stub areas;

Fig. '7 is a fragmental perspective of a group of another form of tickets. before being folded;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the group of tickets shown in Fig. 7 folded in bolt form; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmental. perspective of a group of tickets made according to still another form.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 3, 5 and 6, there is provided a strip l of tickets wound into a roll 2 which have previously been printed and prepared to consist of a plurality of successive ticket areas 3. These ticket areas in this embodiment are divided into two stub areas 4 and 5 by the scoring 4! distinguishable from one another by certain predetermined markings.

In the present instance, the stub area 4 is colored red on both faces thereof, and the stub area 5 is colored white on both faces thereof. In addition, the stub area 5 has a stripe 6 extending longitudinally thereof on both faces of the stub area 5, and inthepresent instance is colored red to correspond with the color of the stub area 4. It will be noted in Fig. 1, as an instance, that the stub areas 4 of the successive ticket areas 3 are formedin asingle column and that the stub areas 5 of the successive ticket areas 3 are like wise formed in a single column, and still furthermore, that the stripe B on the successive stub areas 5 constitutes a continuous line drawn across the successive stub areas 5 of the successtub areas have marked thereon printed matter indicating the name of the theatre, as an instance the words State Theatre, and also the price per ticket, as an instance the mark 10. Preferably, the successive ticket areas have at the top of each stub area a serial number. In Fig. the ticket area I as an instance has the serial number, 216 on its stub area 8, and the corresponding number 216 on its stub area 9. The succeeding ticket area III has the serial number 217 on its stub areas, and so on.

To facilitate an understanding of the invention, it is assumed that the group of tickets illustrated in Fig. 5 were first detached from the strip containing tickets bearing the serial numbers 216 to 219 inclusive, that the next ticket detached was the ticket II illustrated in Fig. 3 containing a single ticket area and which bears the next consecutive number 220 on both of its stub areas, and that there was then left on the strip the ticket areas 3 starting with the serial number 221 on the stub areas of the first ticket area 3, here also marked I2 to distinguish it from the next succeeding ticket area bearing the serial number 222 on both of its stub areas.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, to facilitate fan folding the same, pref erably as shown in Fig. 2, the ticket strip I there has the scorings, indentations or grooves I3, I4, and I5 at the end of successive ticket areas I6, I! and I8 in reverse direction to one another. As an instance, the scoring I3 in Fig. 2 bulges upwardly, the scoring I4 bulges downwardly, and the scoring I5 again bulges upwardly, whereby when a strip such as the strip illustrated in Fig. 5 corresponding in length to four unit areas in turn corresponding to the number of patrons to be admitted on the ticket or group of attached tickets has been detached from the strip I, the same can be readily fan folded. In Fig. 5, the group ticket is bent to approach the fan folded form of the package I9 illustrated in Fig. 6.

To facilitate fan folding along the scorings I3, I 4 and I5, the strip I is also provided with the row of openings or notches 20, 2| and 22, as an instance, between the ticket area 221 and the next succeeding ticket area 222.. These rows of openings 20, 2| and 22 are disposed between each two successive ticket areas, see the row of openings between the ticket areas 222 and 223, also between the ticket areas 216 and 217 of Fig. 5, and the rows between the successive ticket areas 217, 218 and 219.

With regard'to this embodiment, the scoring such as the scorings I3, I4 and I5, also facilitates F detaching a ticket, as an instance the ticket 221 from the strip I along the scoring, or else to detach a group of tickets as an instance the group illustrated in Fig. 5 from the strip I along one of the scorings.

In addition, when a group has been so detached as an instance the group ticket shown in Fig. 5, then the group ticket may be folded along the scorings I3, I4 and I5 into the closed package I9 shown in Fig. 6. Thereupon the openings 2| arranged in a row of successive ticket areas 216, 217f, 218 and 219 will facilitate tearing this group of tickets or group ticket into its respective stub areas, see the tearing action illustrated in Fig. 6.

According to this embodiment also, the stub areas 5 bearing the stripe 6 are the wider of the two so that if the person is right handed as illustrated in Fig. 6, the index finger 23 and middle finger 24 may together grip one face of the stub areas 5 with the thumb 25 the other face, while the index finger 26 and thumb 21 of the attendants left hand will alone grip the package of stub areas 4 which are not being bent.

The stub areas 4 illustrated in Fig. 1 are the stub areas handed to the patron and the stub areas 5 of Fig. 1 are the stub areas retained by the theatre for the accounting department. By means of this ticket strip, the accounting department can quickly sort the stub areas 5 of a ticket according to size, that is, the number of unit areas 3 attached to one another, and in addition also, sort them according to the color of the stripe 6. As an instance, the stripe 6 of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6, is red corresponding to the 10 ticket as compared to or distinguished from the blue color of the stripe 28 of the ticket 29 illustrated in Fig. 4 which blue stripe 28 corresponds to the blue color of the stub area 36 which has marked thereon the price 20. If there is still a higher price as illustrated in my co-pending application Serial No. 300,499, the 30 ticket as an instance may have its stripe and left hand stub area corresponding to the stripe 23 and stub area 36 of Fig. 4, colored green. In this Way, the accounting department can quickly sort the tickets not only as to size, that is, the number of ticket areas that are attached in a group, but also according to price by the color of the stripe, as an instance, the stripe 6 of Fig. 1, or stripe 28 of Fig. 4.

Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the group ticket of successive unit areas 3 I, 32 and 33 may be defined from one another by scorings 34 that all extend in the same direction so that the ticket can be folded into a bolt such as illustrated in Fig. 8 by the bolt form of package 35.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the successive unit areas 36, 31 and 38 may merely have prepared printed lines 39 impressed on the strip 6|] to define the successive ticket areas 35, 31 and 38 from one another along which the tickets may be folded or not, or else torn when tearing either a single ticket or a group of tickets from a strip such as the strip I. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 9, the openings between successive ticket areas such as the openings 20, 2|, and 22 of Fig, 1 have also been omitted.

It has been the practice for theatres to sell tickets of different prices. Besides being marked with the price itself, such tickets are usually designated by color as well to facilitate the exclusion by the doorman of patrons with tickets which do not at that time entitle the patron to admittance to the theatre on account of a different price of admission in force at such time. In the present instance, it is intended to follow this practice, to the extent however, that the use of color as an additional indication for the price of each ticket is limited primarily only to that po tion of the ticket which is handed to the patron, whereas the portion of the ticket to be retained by the theatre is preferably of a uniform color common to all the tickets sold at different prices and which have only a portion differently colored in direct relation to the price of the ticket as is now customary. If, for example, the stub area of the ticket to be retained by the theatre is white on all of the tickets sold regardless of price, and also regardless of the color of the stub area associated therewith which latter may be red, blue, green, yellow, violet, orange, or some other vivid hue, then it is apparent that the presenceon the floor of the theatre beneath the seats or elsewhere of any white stub areas, will immediately indicate to the management that some irregularity has been committed either by dishonesty or carelessness; whereas if the stub areas which are handed to the patronswhen they enter the theatre are of many different colors, and if the stub areas to be retained by the theatre likewise are of many different colors or even tints related to the color of the stub areas to be handed to the patrons-the confusion created by the numerous colored stub areas on the theatre floor or beneath the theatre seats diminishes the effectiveness of this means of detecting dishonest irregularities by the doorman or other employees of the theatre.

It has been a custom in the motion picture industry to print tickets of each price in many different colors for a very definite reason. Where the doorman has found it possible to palm entire tickets which could be resold dishonestly through connivance with the cashier or which could otherwise be dishonestly employed by the doorman for his own personal financial gain, the hazard has been minimized by selling tickets of a given price each day of a different color. With this practice, where a ticket has been palmed by the doorman on a day of the week where the color for example of the 25 ticket used for the evening performance was green, the same color might not again be employed for the 25 ticket for admission at 8 oclock in the evening for two, three, or even as many as ten days, making it uncertain for persons, who have dishonestly purchased such palmed tickets, when they may gain admission to the theatre with a ticket so acquired without detection of the fact that such ticket was dishonestly acquired.

In view of the fact, as a result of this custom, that each price ticket is customarily printed for each theatre in many colors, usually ten colors, and in view of the fact that each treatre has tickets of at least four different prices, it is very evident that at any given time on any given day, it is difficult tov know What colored stub is the proper color for admission to the theatre at that time. Also, during a single days operation, a theatre may have three, four or more different colored stubs scattered about the floor and beneath the seats. If these stubs are not all removed each day, on the second day there may be eight or ten different colored stub-s on the floor and beneath the sets or in the receptacles provided for the accumulation of these stubs, and on the third day there may be twelve or more colored stubs present, as described above.

Consequently, if the stub areas to be retained by the theatre were of different colors than the colors reserved by the theatre to be used for the stub areas to be handed to the patron, there would be so many colors employed that it would be difficult to readily determine when a stub area to be retained by the theatre has found its way wrongfully or rightfully past the doorman. However, where a single color, and a readily distinguishable color such as white, for instance, is reserved by the theatre as the color to be used exclusively and entirely on the stub areas to be retained by the theatre, any such white stub area which finds its way to any other part of the theatre except into the receiving box stationed where the doorman stands, is an immediate indicator to the management that there is some irregularity taking place in connection with the use of the tickets for admission to the theatre.

It is also apparent that the line defining the stub areas 4 and 5 from one another, as an instance, the scoring 4|, or thelines such as the soc-rings l3, l4 and I5, defining the successive ticket areas 3 from one another of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, may be merely printed lines, scorings as illustrated, perforated lines, or any other prepared lines or the like without departing from the general spirit of the present invention.

It is obvious thatvarious changes and modifications may be made to the details of the tickets and ticket strips without departing from the general spirit of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1'. A strip of tickets in roll form, said strip comprising a succession of ticket areas divided into two columns of stub areas, two stub areas for each ticket, one stub area for the patron and the other stub area for the theatre, with the like stub areas in a row in each column, and markings on the stub areas of one column to distinguish them from the stub areas of the other column, and prepared lines to define the succession of ticket areas from one another, said repared lines consisting of indentations or grooves successively extending in opposite directions to one another to facilitate folding a group of tickets attached to one another after having been detached as a group from the strip of tickets in roll form into a package equal in length to that of a single ticket when the package can be torn into two groups of like stub areas, one group consisting of those to be retained by the theatre and the other consisting of those to be handed to the patron.

2. A ticket strip having a succession of ticket areas divided into two columns of stub areas, two stub areas for each ticket, one stub area for the patron and the other stub area for the theatre, with the like stub areas in a row in each column, the stub areas of the respective columns bearing colors distinguishable one from the other, prepared lines to define the succession of ticket areas from one another, said prepared lines consisting of indentations or grooves successively extending in opposite directions to one another to facilitate folding the strip into a package equal in length to that of a single ticket when the package can be torn into two groups of like stub areas, one group consisting of those to be retained by the theatre and the other consisting of those to be handed to the patron, and notches on the edges of the strip at the intersection of successive ticket areas and at the intersection of adjacent stub areas and successive ticket areas to cooperate with said indentations to facilitate fan folding the strip into a package equal in length to that of a single ticket with the notches in alternate intersections between successive ticket areas in alinement with one another to facilitate tearing the package into its respective stub areas.

3. A ticket strip having a succession of ticket areas divided into two columns of stub areas, two stub areas for each ticket, one stub area for the patron and the other stub area for the theatre, with the like stub areas in a row in each column, the hub areas of the respective columns bearing colors distinguishable one from the other, and scored lines consisting of indentations to define the succession of ticket areas from one another and successively in reverse direction to one another to facilitate folding the strip into a package equal in length to that of a single ticket when the package can be torn into two groups of like stub areas, one group consisting of those to be retained by the theatre and the other consisting of those to be handed to the "patrons, and notches on the edges of the strip at the intersection of successive ticket areas and at the intersection of adjacent stub areas and successive ticket areas to cooperate with said indentations to facilitate folding the strip intoa package equal in length to that of a single ticket with the notches in alternate intersections between successive ticket areas in alinement with one another to facilitate tearing the package into its respective stub areas.

4. A theatre ticket strip having a succession of ticket areas defined from one another by prepared lines to facilitate detaching one or more tickets from the strip in roll form, said prepared lines consisting of indentations successively extending in opposite directions to facilitate folding a group of tickets so detached into a plurality of tickets face to face, the strip being divided into two columns of stub areas, two stub areas for each ticket, one stub area for the patron and the other stub area for the theatre, with the like stub areas in a row in each column, the stub areas for the patron containing printed matter and of one color to define a price, and the other stub areas predominantly blank and of another color to be distinguishable from the printed stub areas, the blank stub areas having a colored marking consisting of a line extending across the entire length of successive blank stub areas and corresponding in color to the color of the printed stub areas associated therewith to aid the accounting department in grouping the blank areas of like price.

5. A ticket strip having a succession of ticket areas divided into two columns of stub areas, two stub areas for each ticket, a wide stub area for the patron and a narrow stub area for the theatre, with the like stub areas in a row in each column, the stub areas of one column bearing a color distinguishable from the color of the stub areas of the other column and. indented lines to define the ticket areas from one another, the successive indentations extending in opposite directions to facilitate fan folding the strip into a package equal in length to that of a single ticket,

a line extending across the successive stub areas 

